Recently a friend asked me about the origins of the Speedmaster design - the case, the bezel, the dial.
I gave him an answer that the case was made by Huguenin Freres, but I'm not really 100% sure.
The same goes for the bezel.
The dial was made by Singer afaik.

Also, Rodania Geometer had similar dial layout as Speedmaster, it lacked the bezel though.

I tried to research this topic, but couldn't find anything from this forum and neither Google gave me anything.

I'd appreciate if more knowledgeable members would give some feedback in this matter.

 

I just sent an email asking one of my mates who is a Speedmaster afishionado, "who is responsible for the design of the Speedmaster?".

His one word reply was:

"God".

 

A lot of discussions about the Rodania Geometer being the inspiration for the Speedmaster dial.

What are your thoughts about this even earlier Breitling?



My Geometer is being serviced atm, looking forward to make a pic of the three brothers from different mothers

 

Never seen that breitling before, thanks for sharing

 

What year is the Breitling? Nice watch btw and surely an inspiration for the Speedmaster.

 

I have requested for information from Breitling Archives, will share as soon as I get feedback. My take on that is mid-1950s but let’s have this confirmed

 

I wouldn’t say inspiration...

the Brietling and Rodina share something with the speedy.

Singer made the dials. Singer would design dials and offer them to watch makers.

 

Stop that one-hand keyboard thing

 

The information from the Archives at Breitling confirms this watch to be a ref.1191 produced in January 1958.

It would have been good fun if the watch were from a pre-speedmaster era. Unfortunately it is from the same period as the 2915s

So the Geometer remains the one

 

Very interesting. Thanks for the update.
Btw, is it an easy process to get archive information from Breitling?

 

Oh, never seen this one, the dial is veeery similar to Speedmaster!

 

A section in 'The Moon Watch' from Omega names the following Huguenin people responsible for designing the watch case: Claude Baillod as the designer, Georges Hartman, who built the prototype, and Désire Faivre, who took care of the subtleties.

 

Very interesting, watching with interest.
Keep the sources coming!

 

from the Breitling website :

 

Many thanks indeed. Makes Omega’s extract look very reasonable in cost and ease of obtaining.